This invention relates to a compression tool for crimping electrical connectors onto cable ends and, more particularly, to an insertable multiple indent die device for such tools.
Compression tools including insert dies disposed between the anvil and hydraulic ram of the tool for crimping a connector into intimate contact with a conductor embedded therein are known and have been widely used in the art. These tools generally fall into two catagories. The first being the circumferential insert dies which are typically either round or hexagon in shape and wherein a conductor is inserted into a tubular shaped or barrel connector and wherein the dies which are comprised of two equal sections are closed to crimp the connector into intimate contact with the conductor. The second type is the indent type which typically consists of a stationary "V"-shaped die section into which the tubular shaped connector is nested. The indentor die which is also "V"-shaped is mounted on the end surface of the hydraulic ram of the compression tool with the tip of the "V" being rounded so that it compresses the wall of the connector into contact with the conductor without puncturing the wall of the connector. While these insert dies have worked quite well, they nevertheless require a different tubular connector size for each conductor size that is to be crimped. Accordingly, a large number of different connector sizes must be stocked in order to meet the varying needs of different conductor size applications.
Another type of compression tool is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,981 which provides a four-way crimping tool which yields a completely symmetrical four-way crimp on a single connector sleeve, and covering a wide range of conductor diameters. However, this type of compression tool is a unitary device which requires an integral hydraulic tool permanently attached to the crimping dies. These and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention wherein there is provided an insertable multiple indent die device for use with existing hydraulic tools which normally utilize the circumferential type dies and which can be utilized to crimp a conventional or single tubular connector sleeve size which can accommodate numerous sizes of conductors or cable ends.